the ideal of the olympics is wonderful. the practical reality and the corporatism is awful.

i would be happier if the games were utilized to build up the infrastructure and economies of 2nd world countries than 'won' by cities that don't need them and in fact may be worse off because of the way the games tend to mortgage the future for short term wants.

I've already witnessed many protests.. Aside from the native land stance, their secondary cause subsumes the problem of homelessness.. Now, it's no secret that Vancouver has a large homeless population. However, I haven't seen one homeless 'appearing' person protesting. You'd think they'd be recruited for their own cause.. This to me proves the homeless stance is just a facade to gain attention, seeing as most homeless choose to be homeless.

I dunno what to say its all turned into politics rather than doing whats right.

Its simple to say Vandy had more problems to deal with but just decided to waste the Country's money on the olympics. To think we as a country would learn from Montreal and how much the Mafia among other organizations stole from the city (IOC I'm looking at you). Its what 1st world cities do we aren't the only one's guilty.

I guess individually I'm just as guilty enjoying some of the games and really doing nothing to defend what is right

I've already witnessed many protests.. Aside from the native land stance, their secondary cause subsumes the problem of homelessness.. Now, it's no secret that Vancouver has a large homeless population. However, I haven't seen one homeless 'appearing' person protesting. You'd think they'd be recruited for their own cause.. This to me proves the homeless stance is just a facade to gain attention, seeing as most homeless choose to be homeless.

Couldn't disagree more. Homeless people are broken people. They suck at organizing, or have stopped caring about anything, stopped hoping for the better. You basically can't hold them accountable for anything, but that doesn't mean that everything they do is by choice and definitely not for attention. For one thing protesting for a cause is literally screaming for attention, so if homeless people were attention whores they'd be all over it by your theorie.

Couldn't disagree more. Homeless people are broken people. They suck at organizing, or have stopped caring about anything, stopped hoping for the better. You basically can't hold them accountable for anything, but that doesn't mean that everything they do is by choice and definitely not for attention. For one thing protesting for a cause is literally screaming for attention, so if homeless people were attention whores they'd be all over it by your theorie.

Sorry. I meant the protestors stance on homelessness is just another thing for them to protest over merely for the sake of protesting.. I didn't mean the homeless themselves are attention whores.. but I do believe the majority of them choose to be homeless.. Some of the homeless people here are disabled, but many are just clearly lazy.. I've spoken to quite a few dudes who are able bodied and fairly sharp in terms of intelligence. They'd rather just lounge against the machine though, which is somewhat admirable IMO..

Most of the homeless I met in Vancouver were drug addicts. Still, that has nothing to do with the point that is being made: the Olympics should not be such a priority. Still better than pro sports, though....

The one thing that looks somewhat suspect is all of the use the native imagery in these games. Now i really am not an expert in the subject of treatment of natives in Canadian history, but i have been under the impression the British Columbia wasn't all that nice with Natives in the past. It just looks a tad, well, exploitive.

Anyways, I repeat that i don't know all that much about the subject so maybe i'm wrong about this. This was just an observation i made, but it's not really based on much. Maybe Natives are somehow benefiting from the Olympics...

The one thing that looks somewhat suspect is all of the use the native imagery in these games. Now i really am not an expert in the subject of treatment of natives in Canadian history, but i have been under the impression the British Columbia wasn't all that nice with Natives in the past. It just looks a tad, well, exploitive.

Anyways, I repeat that i don't know all that much about the subject so maybe i'm wrong about this.

I agree with you. I watched some of the opening ceremonies and it was mostly about the natives, and it seemed excessive to me. I'm glad i'm not the only one that thinks that.

I get on board with the games whenever they are on. I would not be upset at all if they never came back to Canada though. I don't see it as proper investment of tax payers money.

That said. I was in Atlanta, before and after their Olympiad and I must say the city completely changed from an infrastructure standpoint. I would not have minded them come to Toronto because it would have forced our inept city council to acually get something done within a timframe.

On too the protesters. I think it is a shame that proper protest and voice is trumped by criminals looking for nothing more than some time on the news and to cause destruction.

Finally seeing those jackass's actually makes me proud to be Canadian. They are exercising their right to protest that has been given to them, by democracy. Democracy that was won. You did not see any protests in China...why? I just wish their efforts were not so overshadowed by a few mask wearing anarchists.

I get on board with the games whenever they are on. I would not be upset at all if they never came back to Canada though. I don't see it as proper investment of tax payers money.

That said. I was in Atlanta, before and after their Olympiad and I must say the city completely changed from an infrastructure standpoint. I would not have minded them come to Toronto because it would have forced our inept city council to acually get something done within a timframe.

On too the protesters. I think it is a shame that proper protest and voice is trumped by criminals looking for nothing more than some time on the news and to cause destruction.

Finally seeing those jackass's actually makes me proud to be Canadian. They are exercising their right to protest that has been given to them, by democracy. Democracy that was won. You did not see any protests in China...why? I just wish their efforts were not so overshadowed by a few mask wearing anarchists.

my opinion, counter productive
most are elitist sports that the average person cant participate in , tax dollars fund these athletes , its not a profitable event for the country

i'd be happier if Canada didn't hold any olympic games on its soil and i'd be even happier if all Canadian athletes spent their own damn money training in these elitist sports instead of mine. People who work for a living and actually contribute are hero's, not skier's and skater's

Give me back my tax dollar's and cut Harper's pension
and no, i'm not very patriotic

i'd be happier if Canada didn't hold any olympic games on its soil and i'd be even happier if all Canadian athletes spent their own damn money training in these elitist sports instead of mine. People who work for a living and actually contribute are hero's, not skier's and skater's

my opinion, counter productive
most are elitist sports that the average person cant participate in , tax dollars fund these athletes , its not a profitable event for the country

i'd be happier if Canada didn't hold any olympic games on its soil and i'd be even happier if all Canadian athletes spent their own damn money training in these elitist sports instead of mine. People who work for a living and actually contribute are hero's, not skier's and skater's

Give me back my tax dollar's and cut Harper's pension
and no, i'm not very patriotic

I do get sucked into the whole spectacle, but I absolutely don't get the overly emotional response to it. Looking at the winter games in general, it always looks like a bunch of rich, beautiful college kids with nothing else to drive them.

They spent 50 million on that opening ceremony? I find that to be obscene.

As for the natives, the history there has been quite up and down. I don't think they had Jesuits picking them off with rifles as they came downstream with fur pelts, which then went into paying for the gold inside of churches, and they have gotten much further with actual legal rights in that province than many others. When it comes to the feelings of the average person though, there could be just as much ignorance as anywhere. I could be wrong, but I get the sense that the native culture is not being as blatantly exploited as it did in Calgary.

The Olympics are a part of today's culture. They bring people from all over the world to compete in various events in a competition. They're very important imo, and I support the Olympians 100%. I don't find it ridiculous at all they're getting some pay now, look at pro athletes and how much they make? Winning medals, and hosting the Olympics gives pride to ones country. However the whole native thing at the Opening Ceremonies was way over the top. I've lived a half hour away from a native reserve for over 10 years and as far as I know they don't practice their culture very much anymore. The native outlook of the ceremonies, was very beneficial and patriotic to the natives, but stereotyped Canada, and I found it didn't represent the country very much. I was basically just like what the hell the whole time.

really? How did it stereotype Canada? I thought the Native part of the ceremonies was very beatiful and interesting to watch. The only thing is, like i said before, it would be nice if it's more than just window dressing.

You know what would have stereotyped Canada? .... if they would have had some cheesey hockey scene or something. Like kids and dancers playing a game of artistic pond hockey. I was actually expecting it and was pretty releived that they didn't do that.

It had nothing to do with my heritage as a Canadian. None of my relatives are Native, as goes the same for most Canadians. I agree they should've had some Native tradition, but the whole Ceremony seemed to revolve around it.

It had nothing to do with my heritage as a Canadian. None of my relatives are Native, as goes the same for most Canadians. I agree they should've had some Native tradition, but the whole Ceremony seemed to revolve around it.